Twisted Promise
by Aeron Ranmark
Summary: A short story taking place in an alternate universe. A single event has changed everything. One pivotal moment. What would have happened if Roxas never lost to Riku?


Twisted Promise

_358 days. It may sound like many, but in truth, they passed by very quickly. They were days of happiness. Days of new friends and cherished memories. He thought they could go on like this forever, just eating ice cream every day after work. It would never change, and once they gained hearts, once they became somebodies instead of just being Nobodies, then the feelings they thought were real could finally be real. Very soon they would have what they longed for. But not soon enough. For their lives were borrowed lives. Not truly meant to live separate from their destiny. He was their past, present, and future. They held half of his power. And they needed to give it back. _

_In one world, they did give it back. And they truly became whole. They were part of somebody._

_But in another world, things didn't turn out the same._

_It was one pivotal moment that changed the course of history. One moment that shattered every plan and destroyed every promise. They try to remember where it all went wrong. What happened to the world? This is where it all went wrong._

_What if Roxas never lost to Riku?_

_---_

The rain stopped in time for Roxas to clearly see the darkness gathering. At his feet rose several Heartless. Their yellow eyes and long antennae gave them an insect appearance, which wasn't a far off description of Heartless thinking process.

_Neoshadows._

He remembered Saix teaching him about the different types of Heartless. They were stronger than normal Shadows. Stronger... but not unbeatable. Especially with his newfound power. Xion's power. Roxas quickly summoned both of his Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, ready to destroy every shadow that leaked from the earth. They attacked and he was ready. His weapons cut through the Neoshadows like water. Their dark remains shattered after they were felled by his blades. The faster they came the faster he cut them down. He was a master swordsman on the field of battle. His blades moved as if they were one as they destroyed all the darkness surrounding him. But there seemed to be no end to them. No matter how many he dispersed, more replaced them. Roxas knew he was in for a long fight.

_I don't have time for them. I must get to Xemnas._

Suddenly, he felt the presence of another dark being. One much stronger than the Heartless. Roxas looked up toward the sky, and there he saw the dark presence. Atop the skyscraper was a silver-haired boy. He wore the cloak of the Organization, but Roxas knew he was the impostor they were after before. His hood was down now. Roxas could barely make out the blindfold around the boy's eyes. Was he blind? No time to think about it now. Roxas figured that he was what the boy was after. But he couldn't deliver damaged goods.

Roxas quickly leaped over the Heartless, making his way to the skyscraper. After he had escaped the shadows, he ran up the building with miraculous speed. More Heartless appeared behind him as he raced faster and faster. He gripped the Oblivion keyblade tightly before throwing it full speed up the skyscraper. It slashed through several Heartless on the way up. The boy jumped off the roof after Roxas had thrown the weapon. He caught the blade as he fell, passing Roxas on the way down. The two glanced at each other as they passed, and a strange sense of familiarity passed over Roxas. It was like he knew this boy, though he was just as certain that he had never met him before. Roxas reached the roof as the silver-haired boy landed into the center of the gathered Heartless. He brandished the Oblivion before dispatching of the Heartless as swiftly as Roxas had before. The former Organization member decided to join the silver-haired boy in his assault on the Neoshadows. He jumped from the roof, quickly descending to the asphalt road and landed without flinching. He used his Oathkeeper to destroy the rest of the Heartless that the impostor had missed. They worked back to back as well as any other partner Roxas had ever had before. One would slash, the other defend. Then he would counter-attack, and the other would follow. They were in perfect unison, slashing and blocking and dodging. With all their strength, they swiped their keyblades in a perfect circle around each other, eliminating the final group of Heartless. The dark beings burst into black bubbles before disappearing completely.

The two stood back to back as all the Heartless vanished. As soon as the last shadow was gone, the two separated, raising their weapons in preparation to fight each other. The time for teamwork had passed.

"Who are you?" Roxas asked the dark being.

---

"What does it matter?" Riku answered the boy. "I've here for you."

The two dark-cloaked figures stood apart, facing each other. Riku couldn't see the other boy's face, but he had already seen him before so it didn't matter. This was his target.

"Why are you trying to stop me?" asked the boy.

"Because I want the rest of Sora's memories." Riku had finally come to the pivotal point in his mission. It took a whole year to restore Sora after his time in Castle Oblivion. He could finally see his friend again.

Across the street, the cloaked boy was visibly agitated by his body language.

"Sora, Sora, Sora! ENOUGH ABOUT SORA!!"

"Do you have some kind of plan?" It seemed strange that the boy would come back to the place he was trying to leave.

"I'm going to set Kingdom Hearts free! Then everything can go back to the way it was!" The boy lowered his head. It was a show of sadness for something lost. "Me, and Axel, and... and _her_ can go back to having ice cream together..."

_Her? _Who was he talking about? Then it suddenly clicked for Riku. He looked down at the Oblivion. "Her? You mean Xion?"

The boy instantly lifted his head, the name bringing back a flood of memories that he was desperately trying to hold on to. The memories were all he had left in his life that he felt meant anything. His memories... and his promise.

"It's a struggle just to remember the name now, isn't it?" Riku knew this because he was having trouble remembering as well. When he had touched the Oblivion before, the memories started to come back in flashes. It was hard to see though, it was like they were trying to erase themselves. No time for thinking of them now however. If they were meant to be gone, he had to let go of them. His mind was back on the task at hand. He readied the Oblivion. "Either way, I can't let you go doing anything crazy."

The cloaked boy didn't answer immediately. He too was lost in thought. Riku surmised that it was about this Xion. She obviously meant a lot to this person by the way he reacted to her name. Soon though, he stirred from his memories.

"I have to meet this Sora person, and freeing Kingdom Hearts is the only way!"

He really believed that. Riku couldn't let that happen though. Releasing Kingdom Hearts would only lead to disaster. Now he really needed to stop this boy. If he only knew what he was trying to do.

"I want Xion back. I want my life back!"

"If you try and make contact with Kingdom Hearts, the last thing you'll get is your life back. The Organization will destroy you." Riku had to convince this boy that his plan was futile. Perhaps that would make things easier. Riku could sense that all this kid wanted was a life of his own. And he had had that before. Now everything was crumbling. It was all falling apart. Riku could sympathize.

The boy was angry again. He brandished his Oathkeeper to his right side. "SHUT UP!!"

With that, he boy lunged forth for Riku, ready to cut him down like those Heartless.

Riku defended immediately, raising the keyblade just in time to prevent a killing blow. The boy immediately countered with another attack. Riku parried, then countered. It went on like this for what seemed like hours. Both were evenly matched. Their blades were locked now. It was a contest of strength. They pushed as hard as they could, but neither would falter. Riku couldn't have this going on forever. With reluctance, he tapped into the dark power resting in his heart. He felt a new surge of energy in him. His new strength easily pushed the boy away. The boy was shocked by this new power. Riku used this moment to fire a Dark Firaga. The boy barely raised his keyblade in time to block it, but the blast still pushed him back further.

The extra blast stunned the boy even more. It would take a little time to recover. Now was Riku's chance. He dashed swiftly to reach the boy and swung the Oblivion down on his opponent. The boy parried the blow, but was unprepared for the counter-attack. Riku brought the guard of the keyblade up to the boys face. The metal clashed with his jaw and Riku followed by dashing behind the boy and punching the back of the boy's head with his free hand. After the boy fell forward, Riku was faster than a blink to capitalize. He brought his fist into the boy's stomach, making him lose breath for a second. While the boy was still stunned, Riku gathered dark power into his hand, and ended his assault with a Dark Firaga at point blank. The power from the attack sent the boy soaring through the air. He landed hard on the street, unconscious and barely breathing. Riku regretted using so much power, but at least the boy wasn't dead. He walked over, keyblade in hand, ready to claim his prize.

Suddenly, the boy disappeared. Riku was taken aback by this, and was completely unprepared for the shockwave of light heading for him. He was hit full force by the attack, and if not for the blindfold, he would have been blinded by it as well. His darkened sense were all that warned him of the very angry boy heading right for him.

"You're finished!" The boy exclaimed, and his Oathkeeper started to glow. Radiate was more like it. The light shining from it made Riku's knees tremble. Faster than light itself, the boy launched an attack on Riku that he was completely unprepared for. His strikes from the Oathkeeper were incredibly difficult to keep up with, and Riku couldn't block all of them. He was hit again and again, and the slashes were starting to take their toll. The boy was seemed to be everywhere in an instant and then gone the next. He was much stronger than Riku ever thought possible.

Riku was beaten by the attack. He fell, having already dropped the Oblivion because of the boy's strength. His opponent stood over him weapon in hand and moving in for the finish. Riku thought to reach for the Oblivion, but he knew he wasn't fast enough. Not anymore. As he waited for the end, nothing seemed to make sense. Why could this boy use the keyblade? Sora was the Keyblade Master, not him.

"Why!? Why do you have the Keyblade!?"

This stopped the boy. He gazed down at the Oathkeeper, looking as though he had been asking himself that question since it first appeared in his hands. Riku used this distraction to reach for the Oblivion. It was now or never. The boy hadn't noticed Riku's move yet. "Shut up!!" He exclaimed before he brought the Oathkeeper down on a seemingly helpless Riku.

The silver-haired warrior reacted swiftly, surprising the cloaked boy. Riku deflected the boy's strike with one of his own, slashing the boy right across the chest. It could have been a death blow. Riku wasn't really sure. As soon as he was at his feet, he saw his opponent, his keyblade gone and him lying motionless. Riku walked slowly, ready for another attack like before. He was tired though, and wasn't sure he could last another assault like the one before. Once he was at the boy's feet, he waited. Nothing. No movement expect for the boy's shallow breathing. Riku exhaled in relief. _It's over._ He stabbed the Oblivion into the ground next to the boy's head. The hood from his cloak was down now. He could see the boy's face again. _Amazing. He looks just like him._

_DiZ._ Riku called for his accomplice with his mind. Dark powers had their perks. _I've found him. It wasn't easy but..._

Riku stopped when he saw the boy's feet move.

---

Roxas stirred from the blow that nearly ended him. He saw the Oblivion next to his head and grasped it immediately. He swung with all his strength, which was diminished by now. Somehow though, Roxas was recuperating as he continued moving. The silver-haired impostor avoiding the attack, leaping far away from the Keyblade Master. Roxas rose to his feet and ran for his enemy. The boy launched another one of those blasts from before. Roxas struck the blast, destroying it completely. Keyblade in hand, he swung again and again, both times hitting nothing but air. His opponent had recovered as well. Pretty soon both would have all their strength back. The impostor leaped far away from Roxas again. He turned to face the silver-haired boy.

"Why don't you quit!?"

Roxas was sick of this game. He had wasted enough time already. The boy looked like he was contemplating. Planning his next move perhaps?

"Come on, Sora. I thought you were stronger than that."

_Sora again!?_ Before Roxas could attack, he answered, "Get real. Look which one of us is winning."

Roxas covered his mouth. He couldn't believe what he just said. It was like it wasn't even him talking. Another person just took over. _What's happening to me?_

"So it's true. You really are his Nobody. Guess DiZ was right after all."

Roxas began to grow impatient. "What are you taking about!? I am me! Nobody else!" His anger summoned the Oathkeeper back to his other hand. With both his weapons back, he attacked his opponent again. The impostor dodged the attack like before. Roxas had recovered completely though, and attack again. The boy could barely summon a Reflect spell in time. But he still took much of the attack. Roxas' attack knocked the impostor back quite a bit, even bringing him to his knees. The boy grabbed his chest in response to the pain.

"You can't beat me, no matter how much you try!" Roxas was fighting for something that made him stronger. His promise gave him more power with each passing second. This would all be over soon.

"All right. You've left me with no other choice."

"What?"

The boy rose to his feet. "I have to release the power in my heart." He reached for his blindfold. "The dark power that I've been holding back."

_Holding back!?_ Roxas couldn't believe it.

The blindfold fell slowly to the ground, carried back and forth by the wind. The boy opened his eyes, and Roxas was pierced by his brilliant blue gaze.

"Even... if it changes me forever." The boy screamed after this and was immediately surrounded by a swirling dark energy. He levitated off the street as four pillars of darkness rose from the earth at four corners. The swirling energy covered the impostor completely. A great wind nearly knocked Roxas off his feet, and he was forced to shut his eyes. When he opened them again, the darkness was gone. Floating where the boy once stood was a man, his skin as dark as the Heartless behind him. His hair was silver like the boys, but his eyes were a sickly amber. His face was blank and his arms were crossed. The Heartless behind him was massive, partially covered with bandages except for the heart-shaped hole in its chest. It hung over his shoulder like a dark guardian.

"What... are you?" Roxas was shocked by the metamorphosis that just took place. His eyes wide with disbelief, his grip on the keyblades weakened. The man vanished in an instant. Roxas looked for him, but there was no sign of his presence. He couldn't feel his power either. And just like that, the man appeared in front of him. Roxas couldn't move in time and was grabbed by the Heartless' massive hand. It completely closed around him. Then it squeezed tightly. Roxas' vision was getting blurry. He couldn't breathe either. At this rate he would pass out soon. The keyblades were starting to slip from his fingers, like the Heartless was sapping all of his strength. Roxas struggled but he couldn't break the hold. He knew it would all be over soon.

_No... I... I promised... her.... Xion..._

"I have accepted it." The man's voice was deep and sinister. He knew he had won.

Roxas' keyblades fell from his hand onto the street. The metal clanged loudly before both blades disappeared. He finally stopped struggling. The Heartless kept its tight grip around him. The man wasn't taking anymore chances.

_I guess this is it... I'm so sorry... Xion.... I couldn't keep my promise..._

Roxas was on the edge of this dark world of sleep. He felt like he was going to lose himself forever. Before he had ever gotten a chance to really know himself. He couldn't see, couldn't breathe. He could barely even think. It was almost done until a bright light shined in the dark. He could see a shape. A girl. She had dark hair and blue eyes. He knew her. The sense of familiarity came over him again. She smiled at him. A very pleasant smile. Her appearance spread the light to him. He reached for her, trying to remember completely. She gave him her hand, and the light encompassed Roxas. "Xion!" The voice echoed in the deep black.

"Roxas." Xion's voice called to him. It beckoned him to remember. Remember the clock tower. The ice cream. Axel. So many happy memories. Memories he thought he had lost forever. It was all coming back to him. The light scattered the darkness. It renewed him. He remembered now. He had her power too.

With a reignited fury, Roxas burst from the grip of the Heartless, the light flowing out of him and shining into the Dark City.

"What!?" The man was infuriated by this new power. He was blinded by the light. It was a familiar pain to him. "Where is this power coming from?"

Roxas still hovered slightly above the ground, the keyblades Oathkeeper and Oblivion back in his hands. His cloak was no longer black but a swirl of white and black. It was a representation of the balance of power in him. He was a being of darkness, but the keyblade gave him light as well. He glared at the man with a new sense of vigor.

"How are you still able to fight!?" The man couldn't believe it. He had used all the power in him, and yet, it _still_ was not enough. "Why won't you submit!?" The man's anger roused the Heartless forward.  
It crossed the gap that separated the two men fast, ready to squeeze every last ounce of life from Roxas. It was met however, with the swift strikes of the two keyblades. Roxas appeared on the other side of it, crouched from his attack. The Heartless was still before it fell to pieces, vanishing, never to return again.

The man was lost for words. Roxas looked at him after rising from his crouched stance. He had nothing to fear now. All the power he could ever need was his now. Nothing and no one could stand in his way.

"You can't make me forget!"

This was his promise. The promise he would never break. He flew full speed at the man, his keyblades ready for more destruction.

The man reacted by launching a barrage of dark energy blasts. They were never ending and they hit Roxas dead on. He kept firing though he was certain it was more force than he should use. He kept pouring the dark power from his hands until he was sure it was over. However, Roxas burst from the smoke and black fire unscathed and still hungry for death. The man couldn't react in time. Roxas cut through him in the blink of an eye with both his blades.

The Keyblade Master stood triumphant behind the man. His blades vanished as he had no need for them now. His cloak was even its original black color again. The man was wide-eyed in disbelief. A dark vapor seeped from him, and the man returned to the form of the silver-haired boy.

"I told you. You can't beat me."

---

Riku was fading fast. He couldn't hold his form together. He fell to his knees, his arms limp and his eyes to the sky. It was over. His struggle to control the darkness within him didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered. Sora would stay asleep. If he couldn't defeat Sora, what made him think he could stand a chance against his Nobody? He was a fool. He had fallen to the darkness once because of his foolishness. Now he would fade into it forever because of it. With his last breath, he whispered, "Sora... I'm sorry..."

His body fell forward until it vanished into nothing but a shadow. The dark energy left him completely, and Riku was no more.

The boy walked forward after the last remnants of the impostor dispersed. His mission was still not over.

_Up next:_

_Twisted Promise conclusion!_


End file.
